BIOCHEM PROTEINS ASSIGNMENT

1. Which of the following statement is TRUE?

a. At pI, amino acids have an overall

negative charge

b. At pI, amino acids have an overall

positive charge

c. At pI, amino acids are protonated so they

have zero charge

d. At pI, amino acids have equal amounts of

positive and negative charges so they have a net

zero charge

Answer:

- (C) The isoelectric point (pI) is the point at which the net charge on a molecule is
zero. pI is most commonly examined for proteins. Each of the amino acids in a
protein carries a distinct charge, and the overall charge of a protein is the
summation of the individual charges on each amino acid. This charge is also
dependent on the pH of the surrounding solution.

2. Identify the amino acids that comprise this peptide.

- Ala-val-cys

3. Draw the peptide ala-gly-val-ser